Tumbler type hot-air drier having a casing bulkhead



Sept. 12, 1950 P. E. GELDHOF 2,521,712

TUIIBLER TYPE HOT-AIR DRIER HAVING A CASING BULKHEAD Filed June '7, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 57M 2271" Peter Eduard Geld/20f Se t. 12, 1950 P. E. GELDHOF TUMBLER TYPE HOT-AIR DRIER HAVING A CASING BULKHEAD Filed June 7, 1946 4 Shets$heet 2 [i 217221" Heter- Eduard Geld/E9 P 1950 P. E. GELDHOF 2,521,712

TUMBLER TYPE HOT-AIR DRIER HAVING A CASING BULKHEAD Filed June '7, 1946 4 Sheets-Shoot 3 by .FZYy:

Sept. 12, 1950 P. E. GELDHOF 2,521,712

TUMBLER TYPE HOT-AIR DRIER HAVING A CASING BULKHEAD Filed June 7, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ptig. 5'

[17 yenfur' Pei?! Eduard Geld/5g J4 (7M 7M MM 277 F1722;

Patented Sept. 12, 1950 TUMBLER TYPE HOT-AIR DRIER HAVING A CASING BULKHEAD Peter Eduard Geldhof, St. Joseph, Mich, assignor to Nineteen Hundred Corporation, St. Josep Mich., a corporation of New York Application June 7, 1946, Serial No. 675,077

Claims.

1 This invention relates to a clothes drier, and more particularly to a small, compact unitary clothes drier of the type which is suitable for ordinary household use in conjunction with any laundry machine or washing apparatus.

One type of clothes drier which is supplied for household use includes a rotating drum through which heated air is circulated. The rotating drum is mounted within a closed housing.

It is one of the principal features and objects of the present invention to provide a novel clothes drier of this general category which gives greatly improved results with a minimum expenditure of energy.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel bulk head drier.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel means for heating and circulating air in a clothes or article drier.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a clothes drier in which air is drawn over a heating means and then through an article containing drum by suction apparatus located at the outlet.

Another and still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel cabinet or housing for drying apparatus.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization, manner of construction and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a clothes drier embodying the novel features and characteristics of the present invention, looking downwardly thereon from the left front corner thereof;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the clothes drier shown in Figure 1 but looking down on it from the rear corner thereof which is located diagonally opposite from the corner from which the view in Figure l is taken;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, as taken along the line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the line 1V-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the machine taken along the line V-V of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper right corner of Figure 4 illustrating a modified form of the present invention.

As shown in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, the clothes drier I0 includes an outer shell or cabinet I I in which is mounted a rotating drum I! which is arranged to receive clothes or other articles to be dried.

The drum I2 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and is arranged to be driven by a. motor l3 through a belt drive It.

The cabinet ll of the drier I0 is provided with an opening in the front wall thereof opposite the drum l2 which opening is defined by a flange l5, which extends axially rearwardly. This opening as defined by the flange i5 is sufliciently large to introduce clothes through the open end of the drum I2 which is defined by the flange IS on the drum 12. The two flanges l5 and IS are disposed in overlapping spaced relationship, as is clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, and a felt ring I! is secured to the flange l6 by means of a band 88. The felt ring I1 extends into rubbing engagement with the front wall IQ of the cabinet l I.

The opening IS in the cabinet H is arranged to be closed by means of an imperforate door 2| suitably mounted for openin and closing movement, such as by hinge means or the like (not shown).

Radially outwardly of the flange ii on the drum H, the forward wall 2! of the drum I2 is provided with a series of openings 22 therein through which air may pass from the interior of the drum into the region between the forward end of the drum and the front wall llof the housing ll.

As is shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the rear end of the drum I2 is made up of an imperforate wall I03 having a relatively large central opening therein defined by an axially rearwardly extending flange I02. Within this opening defined by the flange I2- is a screen member 53 having an axially rearwardly turned peripheral edge l0! for nested engagement with the flange Heated air is forced through the rear screen 63 of the drum l2, through the drum and then out through the front annular portion 2| which makes up the front wall of the drum [2. It will be noted that the air does not pass out through the large central opening as defined by the edge It on the drum l2 due to the fact that an imperforate door 20 covers this opening.

One of the distinctive features of the present invention is to provide a bulk head 21 which is 3 intheformofawallsurroundingthedrum I2 and spaced from the forward wall ll within the cabinet II. The bulk head 21 is secured to the side walls of the cabinet II by means of angle brackets 2|, these brackets 20 being welded or otherwise suitably secured to the side walls of the cabinet I I, and bolted as at 29 to the bulk head 21. As may be seen best in Figure of the drawings, the bulk head 21 has a large opening in the center thereof through which the forward edge of the drum extends. This large opening of the bulk head 21 is defined by a rearwardly facing channel flange 3|, which includes a forwardly extending flange portion 32, a radially inwardly extending flange portion 33, and a rearwardly extending flange portion 34.,

In order to obtain an air seal between the bulk head 21 and the rotating drum l2, a felt ring II is secured to the rear face of the bulk head 21 by means of a clamping band I. This felt ring 35 extends into wiping engagement with the outer surface of the drum [2.

From the above description it will be apparent that a sealed chamber is provided into which the air passing from the drum escapes and from which there is no egress except in the manner now to be described.

Two pipes extend from this chamber between the bulk head 21 and the front wall I! of the housing I I, which two pipes are identified by the reference numerals 31 and 38. The pipe 31 is near the top of the housing II and to one side of the drum II. It extends directly from the bulk head 21 rearwardly and out through the rear wall 39 of the housing II. The rear end of the pipe 31 is capped with a filter unit 40 in the form of a drum having a peripheral surface 4| in the form of a screen and solid end walls 42 and ll.

The pipe 38 is located near the bottom of the housing H and extends rearwardly from the bulk head 21 to a region near the rear of the housin H and then upwardly where it connects as at H with the top pipe 31. Air passing through the drum I: thus passes out through the openings 22 in the front wall of the drum I 2 into the chamber between the bulk head 21 and the front wall II, and then out through the pipes I1 and 38 and the filter unit 40.

The air intake for the housing is provided by a series of holes 45 located in the rear wall I! of the housing If and directly opposite the rear end of the shroud 46 which lies between the drum I I and the rear wall 39 and surrounds the heating and blowing means. The heating and blowing means may be any suitable means for raising the temperature of the air and causing the air to flow through the drum it.

One particular form of heating and blowing means which has been found extremely satisfactory in practice is described and claimed in the pending application of Peter Eduard Geldhof and Charles E. Morgenstern entitled "Clothes Drier, U. S. Serial No. 652,863, filed March 8, 1946, now Patent No. 2,503,329, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The essential features of this structure may be seen best in Figure 5 of the drawings which will now be described.

The rotatable drum l2, the heating means and the air circulating means are all mounted on a single pedestal 41 which is in the form of an upstanding tubular member 48 having a pair of divergent legs 49. The diverging legs 48 are made up of a single channel-shaped bracket which is wrapped around the tubular member II and welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto. It will be observed that the legs ll which form this bracket extend out well beneath the rotating drum l2, and thus supply a satisfactory rigid base for the rotating assembly. The legs ll rest on the base plate II of the cabinet II. The base plate ll has a downturned edge flange II which is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the walls of the housing H.

A hearing support sleeve I2 is seated on the top of the tubular member ll, the latter being cut away so as to fit snugly around a portion of the sleeve. The sleeve 82 may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the top of the tubular member ll.

Within thetubular sleeve 52 are disposed two bearing sleeves 53 and 54 which may, by way of example, be porous metal, lubricant impregnated bearing sleeves. These bearing sleeves I3 and 84 are disposed at opposite ends of the stationary sleeve 62. In order to provide additional lubricant, a wick formed of felt or other suitable material I is carried in a small tube 56 which is secured to the main sleeve 82. This wick extends down and into the space between the inner ends of .the bearing sleeves 53 and 54.

The rotating drum i2 is provided with a frame o spider in the form of three radially extending supporting arms I1, ll and It. The inner ends of the arms I, II and I! are secured to a hub 60 which is pinned as at ii to a shaft 62 extending therethrough and abutting the rear perforated panel or screen member I of the drum l2. Each individual arm 51, 58 and 5! is pinned to the hub II by a pin '4.

Each arm 51, It and I! is formed of a sheet metal tube II which is flattened near its outer end, as at I. The flattened portion 88 is bolted to the drum I2 by a small bolt 61 and by a large bolt BI which extends clear through the drum from one end to the other. The points at which the outer ends of the arms I1, I8 and 59 are secured are directly opposite the points where the large flns Cl, TI and II lie, respectively. These fins 89, I. and H are formed of sheet metal and are bolted to the outer peripheral wall ll of the drum I! as at 12, and are each formed of a sheet which provides a tip which is relatively thick and which extends radially inwardly for a substantial distance from the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall ill of the drum i2.

These fins serve the dual purpose of providing means for tumbling the clothes within the drum and at the same time providing stiffening means for stiflening and reinforcing the entire drum.

The shaft 81 carried by the hub extends back through the bearings l3 and 54 which are carried in the sleeve 52 at the top of the pedestal 41. The shaft 82 is somewhat longer than the sleeve 52, and accordingly extends out the rear end of the sleeve 52. g

A pulley wheel 13 carried on a hub 74 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 82. The hub 14 is secured to the shaft 82 by means of a set screw ll, so that there is no relative rotation therebetween.

Between the sleeve 52 and the pulley 13, a combination fan, hub and pulley 16 is mounted for free rotation about the shaft 62. To this end, a bearing sleeve 11 is provided in the hub II, and this bearing 11 presents a bearing surface to the shaft 82 for rotation therearound.

The bearing 11 may, for example, be a porous metal, lubricant impregnated bearing, the lubricant being supplied thereto from a wick 18 retained in the hub 18.

The hub 18 is also provided with a recessed forward face and shoulder which retains a sealing ring 19 in conjunction with the fan blade mounting ring 89. The fan blade mountingring- 89 is riveted Or otherwise suitably secured as at U to the hub 18. A plurality of arms 82 extend out from the mounting ring 89. These arms 82 are provided with fan blades 83 at their outer ends, which are riveted or otherwise suitably secured thereto as at 84. This arrangement enables the fan to be driven at a speed which is many times the speed of rotation of the rotating drum I2.

The motor I8 is arranged to drive both the fan and drum. This motor I3 is mounted in a bracket 85 (see Figure 3) which is secured to the base 59 of the cabinet II. The armature shaft 88 of the motor is provided with a drive pulley 81. Directly to the rear of the pedestal 49 is a bracket 88 which is secured to the base panel 59 of the cabinet I I. This bracket 88 carries a short stub shaft 89 on which is mounted a hub 99 for free rotation. The hub 99 is provided with abearing sleeve 9| which may conveniently be of a porous metal, lubricant impregnated type. A wick 92 is provided in a recess in th hub 99 to supply lubricant to the bearing sleeve 9|. The shaft 89 is threaded at its inner end in order that it may be secured by complementally threaded nut 93 to the bracket 88.

The hub 99 carries a large metal pulley 94 which is rigidly secured thereon in any suitable manner so that there is no rotation between the pulley 94 and the hub 99. The hub 99 is also provided with a v-shaped annular groove 95 which lies in the same plane as the large pulley 13 on the shaft 82. The large pulley 94 on the hub 99 lies in the same plane as the portion of the hub 18 which is provided with a V-shaped notch 98, as well as in the same plane as the motor pulley 81. One V-shaped belt 91 extends around the motor pulley 81 and the pulley 94, in the V-shaped annular groove in the hub 18. A second V-shaped belt I4 extends around the large pulley 13 and around the hub 92 in the groove 95 thereof. Since the pulley 94 is substantially larger than the pulley 81, a speed reduction occurs in the drive from the motor pulley to the pulley 94. since the pulley portion 95 of the hub 99 has no rotation with respect to the pulley 94, it will be seen that a further speed reduction occurs between the hub 99 and the large pulley 13 secured to the drum axle 82.

It will further be noted that the pulley portion 99 of the hub 18 is only slightly larger than the motor pulley 81 and hence the fan 83 is driven at a. much higher speed than is the drum I2,

, although both are driven from the same motor with the motor running at a single speed.

In order to properly direct the air which is set into motion by rotation of the fan 89, a large sheet metal shroud 48 in substantially the form of a tubular casing member is mounted on the pedestal by means of a V-shaped bracket 98 (see Figure 3). The V-shaped bracket 98 has a base portion 99 which is secured to the top of the sleeve 52 by the threaded nd of a small sleeve 58 which is threaded into the large sleeve 52. The outer ends of the V-shaped bracket 99 are secured to the shroud 48 in any suitable manner (not shown).

It will be noted that the shroud 48 terminates Just short of the rearwardmost portion of the rotating drum I2 and is substantially of the same diameter as the perforated panel or screen member 88. V It will further be observed, that the perforated panel or screen member 83 has a rearwardly extending peripheral flange I9I which is seated in a rearwardly extending opening defining flange I92 of the imperforate rear wall I93 of the drum I2. The shroud 49 extends up'to a position in close proximity to the rearwardly extending flanges I9I and I82 of the rotating drum I2. It will furthermore be observed that the diameter of the tubular shroud 98 is substantially the same as the diameter of the circular opening formed by the flange I92, and thereby confines and directs the air from the fan 89 directly into the rear of the rotating drum I2.

A second conically shaped shroud I94 is provided interlorly of the shroud 48 to form a heatreflector baflle plate for the heating means I95. This conically shaped shroud or reflector member I94 extends over the bearings 53 and 54 up to a position in close proximity to the fan blade 88, the small end of the conically shaped member being nearest the drum I2.

The heating means I95 above referred to is located between the tubular shroud 48 and the conically shaped shroud or heat reflector I94. This heating element I95 is formed of two heating coils I98 and I91 which are concentrically disposed and serially connected as shown in Figure 3. Power for these serially connected heating elements I98 and I91 is supplied through conductors I 98 and I99.

The heating elements I98 and I91 are mounted in a plurality of radially extending porcelain or other suitable electric insulating material fingers II9 which are carried on the shroud 48. Each finger has a pair of holes III and H2 therein through which the heating elements I98 and I91 extend, respectively, and are supported thereby.

The operation of the clothes drier illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings will now be described. The door 29 is opened and clothes are inserted into the drum I2. The door 29 is then closed and the motor I3 energized. The power supply conductors I98 and I99 are connected to a suitable source of electric energy, such, for example, as a source of power having 220 volts. Air is drawn through the rear openings 45 in the housing II by the fan 83 and is forced over the heating coils I98 and I91, and thence through the drum I2. Heat is carried by the air so circulated andis also transferred by radiation from the conical reflector I94. The air passing through the drum I2 passes out the forward wall 2| of the drum I2 through the openings 22 into the region between the bulk head 21 and the front wall I9. Since it has no place else to escape, it then passes back through the two pipes 31 and 38, and finally out through the filter unit 49.

Any lint which may be caught up in the air stream as it passes through the drum I2 is caught in the screen H of the filter unit 49, and thus separated from the air before it is returned to the room. From time to time, the filter unit 49 may be slipped off the end of the pipe 31 and cleaned.

A modified form of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings. More particularly, Figure 6 illustrates that a suction fan may be provided at the outlet of the air duct 31 rather than in the shroud 46, if desired. As shown in Figures 6, a sirocco fan H3 is mounted by means of suitable brackets H3 on the rear wall 38 of the housing ll. Any suitable means may be provided for driving this fan, such, for example, as a small motor H4 mounted by mounting bolts III to the housing of the fan Ill. The housing of the fan H3 (which may be in the form of a scroll casing) has an outlet duct H6 with a removable filter screen ill therein.

When the suction fan H3 is used, the fan 83 may be eliminated from within the shroud 48.

While '1 have shown certain particular embodiments of my invention, it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invenand rear walls thereof, means for heating air in said rear chamber, means for circulating heated air from said rear chamber through said drum into said front chamber, a discharge pipe in one of the upper corners of said cabinet extending from said front chamber through said bulk head and back out through the rear wall of said cabinet, and a second discharge pipe extending from said first chamber through said bulk head in proximity to the bottom of said cabinet to a point in proximity to the rear wall of said cabinet and then upwardly into communication with said first discharge pipe whereby heated air discharged from said front chamber transfers some of its heat to the fresh air being drawn into said rear chamber.

2. A drier comprising a cabinet, a drum mounted in said cabinet for rotation about substantially a horizontal axis, a bulk head in said cabinet surrounding said drum, said bulk head dividing said cabinet into a rear air chamber and a separate front air chamber which are in communication with each other only through said drum, said drum having an imperforate peripheral wall and having air openings in the front and rear walls thereof, means for heating air in said rear chamber, means for circulating heated air from said rear chamber through said drum into said front chamber, a discharge pipe in one of the upper corners of said cabinet extending from said front chamber through said bulk head and back out through the rear wall of said cabinet, and a second discharge pipe extending from said first chamber through said bulk head in proximity to the bottom of said cabinet to a point in proximity to the rear wall of said cabinet and then upwardly into communication with said first discharge pipe whereby heated air discharged from said front chamber transfers some of its heat to the fresh air being drawn into said rear chamber, and a filter drum detachably mounted on the end of said first discharge pipe exteriorly of said cabinet, said filter drum including two imperforate end walls and a perforated peripheral well, one of said imperforate end walls having an opening therein arranged to receive the end of the first discharge pipe, said perforate peripheral wslLbein arranged to separate out lint and other foreign particles in the discharged air.

3. A clothes drier comprising a cabinet, a drum mounted in said cabinet for rotation about substantially a horizontal axis, an imperforate door in the front wall of said cabinet through which clothes may be introduced and removed from said drum, said drum having a, central opening in the front wall thereof through which clothes may be introduced and removed when said door is opened, a bulk head in said cabinet surrounding said drum and in proximity to the front end of said drum, a sealing gasket on said bulk head engaging said drum whereby said bulk head separates said cabinet into two separate air chambers, said drum having an imperforate peripheral wall, the front wall of said drum having air openings therein radially outwardly of said clothes-receiving opening, the rear wall of said drum having an imperforate outer annular portion and a perforate central portion, a shroud disposed rearwardly of said perforate central portion of the rear wall of said drum and in close proximity thereto, heating means within said shroud, and air circulating means within said shroud for circulating air over said heating means and through said drum, and at least one discharge pipe extending from the air chamber in the front of said cabinet through said bulk head and back through the air chamber in the rear of said cabinet through the exterior wall of said cabinet.

4. A drier comprising a cabinet defining a chamber and having a front wall with an opening to receive clothes or the like, a drum having openings in its opposite ends and mounted in said cabinet for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said wall, an inwardly extending ring disposed across the front portion of said drum, said ring having openings for the passage of air and extending inwardly to approximate alignment with said first opening, elements forming an imperforate tube from said first opening to the opening formed by said ring, a bulk head in said cabinet forming an air seal between said drum and said cabinet to form a chamber in conjunction with said front wall, said chamber being in communication with the interior of said drum through said openings in said ring, said cabinet defining an air intake opening for the intake of air to the rear portion of said drum and having elements to define air passageways from said chamber to the exterior of said cabinet, and means for circulating air through said drum from said air intake openings to said last chamber.

5. A drier comprising a cabinet defining a chamber and having a front wall with an opening to receive clothes or the like, a drum having openings in its opposite ends and mounted in said cabinet for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said wall, an inwardly extending ring disposed across the front heat air as it passes therethrough, said cabinet having elements to define air passageways from said chamber to the exterior of said cabinet, and means for circulating air through said drum from said passageway to said last chamber.

6. A drier comprising a cabinet defining a chamber and having a first wall with an opening to receive clothes or the like and a second wall, a drum having openings in its opposite ends and mounted in said cabinet for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said first wall, an inwardly extending ring disposed across the front portion of said drum, said ring having openings for the passage of air and extending inwardly to approximate alignment with said first opening, elements to form an imperforate tube extending from said first opening to the opening formed by said ring, a bulk head in said cabinet forming an air seal between said drum and said cabinet to form a chamber in conjunction with said first wall, means defining a pathway from said second wall to the rear portion of said drum, heating elements disposed in said pathway to heat air as it passes therethrough, said cabinet further having elements defining air passages through the interior thereof and extending from the said last chamber to said second wall and means for circulating air through said drum from said passageway to said last chamber.

7. A drier comprising a cabinet defining a chamber and having a front wall with an opening to receive clothes or the like, said opening having an inwardly extending cylindrical flange, a drum having openings in its opposite ends and mounted in said cabinet for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said front wall and in alignment with the center of the inward end of said flange, an inwardly extending ring disposed across the front portion of said drum, said ring having openings for the passage of air and extending radially inwardly to approximate alignment with said first opening, said ring having a forwardly extending cylindrical flange to mate said first fiange and define a substantially imperforate tube, a bulk head in said cabinet forming an air seal between said drum and said cabinet to form a chamber in conjunction with saidviront wall, said chamber being in communication with the interior of said drum through said openings in said ring, said cabinet defining an air intake opening for the intake of air to the rear portion of said drum and having elements to define air passageways from said chamber to the exterior of said cabinet,

and means for circulating air through said drum from said air intake openings to said last chamber.

8. A clothes drier including a cabinet having spaced walls, a drum having an imperi'orate cylindrical wall and openings in its opposite ends and disposed in said cabinet, a substantially imperforate bulk head extending from said drum to said cabinet to forma first chamber in' conjunction with the first one of said walls and a second chamber in conjunction with the second of said walls, said first chamber being in communication with the interior of said drum through one end thereof, elements defining an airpath- 10 way from within said second chamber to the other end of said drum, and elements defining a return air pathway from said first chamber through said cabinet and out through a wall of said cabinet.

9. A clothes drier including a cabinet havin spaced walls, a drum having an imperforate cylindrical wall and openings in its opposite ends and disposed in said cabinet, a substantially imperforate bulk head extending from said drum to said cabinet to form a first chamber in conjunction with the first one of said walls and a second chamber in conjunction with the second of said walls, said first chamber being in communication with the interior of said drum through one end thereof, elements defining an air pathway from within said second chamber to the other end of said drum, and a pipe extending from said bulk head to said second wall to define a return air pathway from said first chamber through said cabinet and out through a wall of said cabinet.

10. A clothes drier including a cabinet having spaced walls, a drum enclosed by said cabinet and mounted therein for rotation about a horizontal axis, a motor mounted within said cabinet. means driven by said motor for rotatably driving said drum, said drum having an imperforate cylindrical wall with perforate wall portions at its opposite ends, a substantially imperforate bulkhead extending from the wall of said cabinet to said drum and forming a partition dividing said cabinet into two chambers, one being in communication with the interior of said drum through a wall of said cabinet and one end of said drum, the other being in communication with the atmosphere through the opposite end of said drum, air-circulating means within said cabinet for establishing a circulation of air from the atmosphere into said one end of said drum chamber and through said drum to said other chamber and out said cabinet to the atmosphere, means driven by said motor for driving said aircirculating means, and a return passageway element defining an air passageway from said second chamber in communication with the opposite end of said drum and out through said bulkhead and a wall of the cabinet.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 31, 1925 

